ETT 536, Web-based Learning
Spring Semester
March 3, 2004
APA Online: Design Document
Janet Giesen and Kit O’Toole
Topic
This project addresses basic APA style guidelines, and will provide a brief, interactive
guide so graduate students can better learn how to create a reference page.
Justification
Students from various disciplines experience difficulty using APA style. The rules can
be confusing, and the thick APA manual helps only to a limited extent. Due to time
constraints, instructors often cannot devote significant periods of time to discussing APA
style. Some online guides exist as part of Online Writing Labs (OWLs), such as Purdue
University’s OWL, while APA has its own website dedicated to style concerns.
However, these guides offer little in the way of interaction. Students are frequently
forced to scroll down multiple pages of text until they find the specific information they
require. Simply reading the APA rules from a monitor may not reinforce the concepts for
students. Since APA style is an integral part of graduate study, there is a need for an
interactive, convenient online guide for graduate students.
Problem Statement
The need exists for an interactive and brief online guide to APA style. We propose an
interactive guide to basic reference page formats, and the page will be targeted toward
NIU’s Instructional Technology (IT) graduate students. Ultimately the site will be linked
from the IT Department’s home page.
Audience Analysis
The target audience consists primarily of NIU IT graduate students, but students from all
over the world could access the page via the World Wide Web. NIU’s IT students come
from a wide variety of backgrounds and careers, so technological and writing abilities
will differ. A vast percentage of these students are commuters, so they may be unable to
utilize the campus writing center’s services. Finally, most students have access to the
Internet through home and/or work computers, although Internet connection speeds may
vary.
Goals
The goals for APA Online are as follows:
• Provide an interactive learning opportunity to better reinforce
APA citation format (specifically for the reference page)
• Provide a quick reference guide to APA style that is available 24/7
• Provide a convenient, less intimidating guide for students
• Provide links that will encourage students to learn more about APA style
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ETT 536, Web-based Learning
Spring Semester
March 3, 2004
Objectives
The following objectives have been written to include a measurable performance,
conditions, and criteria. When using APA (or any specified) format, it is important to
correctly site sources on a reference page. Therefore, we have selected four types of
sources that typically are used in a graduate level written assignment (book, journal,
website, daily newspaper article). Because this project will be considered a prototype,
only one type of each source will be included.
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After completing the web-based Module 1, students will be able to properly list
each of the following sources in a reference page in APA format:
– book, journal, website, daily newspaper article
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After completing the web-based Module 1, students will be able to properly
format a reference page in APA format, considering:
– header, margins, alpha listing, indents, line spacing
Content Analysis
The following content will be included for this assignment. As previously mentioned,
because this project is considered a prototype, the content will include both breadth and
depth of relatively equal proportions.
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Present purpose for site – mentioned in Goal statement.
Provide reason why APA citation is necessary – mentioned in Goal statement.
Provide example of proper reference page citation – will give the user a frame of
reference with which to work and create their own examples.
List sub-module tasks users will do – these will include items listed in
Interactivity Treatment section.
Provide feedback – in the form of an asynchronous discussion board.
Instructional Methods (hypermedia methodology) – in parallel Interactivity Treatments
Tutorial – self-paced guide for uses to work through various sections of
the site.
Self test – a fill-in-the blank section where the users can practice APA
formatting.
Collaborative activities – a section in which the users can collaborate with
fellow users (students). One such activity could be an exchange of APA
formatting situations in which users would critique each others work.
Assessment – a feedback link for user comments and suggestions.
Post module learning activities – further collaborative activities such as
sharing of new APA issues and concerns and self-assessments.
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ETT 536, Web-based Learning
Spring Semester
March 3, 2004
Interactivity Treatments
• Practice APA formatting through a fill-in the blank window.
• Answer/address questions/comments by clicking on radio buttons – could be
considered a form of assessment as a test)
• Asynchronous collaborative feedback link.
• “Help” link with FAQ’s.
• Post-module learning activity – see instructional methods.
• Hyperlinks to relevant APA sites – for further information on APA style, linking
directly to the APA web site, university, and private agencies.
Formative Evaluation – this is necessary to critically analyze and evaluate the entire
project beginning with the design phase through the final roll out of the web site.
Summative Evaluation – this final evaluation could be in the form of a user-feedback
section where they can provide suggestions for the web site’s improvement.
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